Humidistat



Feb. 3, 1931. E PORTER 1,791,375

HUMIDISTAT Filed March '7, 1928 I N VEN TOR:

EDWARD A. PQR TEF? A TTORNE Y.

Patented Fees, 1931 r i I I I 1,791,375

. UNITED STATES. PATENT orrlcs :lmwann A. warm, or Burmese, vmmom mmrsra'r Application med March 7, 192a. swarm. 259,862.

The invention has for an object to efiect a. walls, the open side of the case being closed by improvements in humidistats especially suita removable cover 11, which preferably comable for use in devices such as shown in my prises bronze wire cloth or other material to application Ser. No. 130,337, filed August 19, permit free circulation of air. The upper 1926, and'has-for an-object to provide an adand lower walls of the case are also fojustable automatic device of a novel kind for ram1nate,if desired, to permit air movement. controlling the action of a humidifier to the The case in the present instance is provided end that the moisture content of air within with eye-bolts and chains 12, whereby it may a given compartment may be maintained in be readily hung in the upper part of a show- 10 any. desired practical proportion suitable to case, and an electrical'lamp receptacle 13 is oods or merchandise. It is especially usemounted on the top wall open therethrough ul in cigar cases. An important object is to in such manner that the lamp may be inserted embody this invention in such manner that it from the exterior of the case. Upon the leftcan be made very small in size, and adapted hand end of'the case, two binding posts 14 15 to be readily installed and maintained in ordiare mounted, insulated in asuitable manner nary cigar cases. from the case. z

A very important object of the invention The humidistat proper comprises a horiis to so embody an appliance of this character zontal chord bar 15, serving as a tensionthat it will beliable ina minimum degree to stress-sustaining member, this bar carrying 20 derangement or im airment incident to norat each end two seats 16-17 against which mal use and may e depended upon to opthere are fitted at respective sides of the bar erate with great certainty. It is an imporl5 hygroscopic wood bars bent to form-bows tant aim to so embody a humidistat that an 18, fitted snugly under compression endwise electric switch maybe 0 rated directly from between the seats 16 and 17 in such'manner 26 the moisture-seiisltive e ement of the device that in case of accretion of moisture in the thereby contributing to simplicity. It is also wood it will be caused to expand and to bea further aim to provide a novel construction come bowed further. The seats 17 at one end in such a switch. of the bar 15 are made removable for adjust- Additional objects, advantages and feament, or replacement of the parts by proviao tures of invention reside in the construction, sion of a flat flange on each projected longiarrangement and combination of parts, as tudinally of the device and bolted to the bar Willbeunderstoodfmm the following details 15, which is pro'ected between the flanges. I and description, and from the drawings, These seats may e connected at the sides to wherein form a unit which may be slipped on or off 86 Figurel is an elevational view of the dethe end of the bar 15. The bar in the present vice as embodied in a form adapted to be instance is formed of a T-shaped metal chansus nded in a show-case. nel'member, this being welded to the fixed seat igure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of elements 16. Two lates 19 are also attached the evice, the'case being omitted. to the sides of the ar midway of its length,

40 Figure 3 is an end view from the right of which serve as a pivot mounting for circuit 90 Fi re 1. I 7 closing levers, to be described. Each of the igure 4 is a crosss'ectional view on the hygrosco ic wood bows is provided with a line 4-4' of Figure'2. i clock 5 ring plate 20'at the outer side, cor- I Y Fi e, 5 'is' a fragmentary view showing respon ing in.length,held in caps on the ends an a justable seat or abutment for the ends of the bows and under pro'ected portions of of the bows. I the seat members 16 and 1 so as to be held There"is illustrated a humidistatgcompris close against the bow. These sprin s tend ingasheet metal case 10,inwhich the humidito oppose the bending of the bows s ightly, stat proper is mounted, the case comprisin and serve to insure return of the hygroscoplc on a back wall, integral top, bottom and en bows to initial positions upon decrease of their water content. Pivoted between the plates 19 adjacent the plate 20 there are respective levers 21, projecting longitudinally beyond one end of the'bar 18. These levers have contact screws 22-23 engaged through insulated plates on the levers, the screws being of sufficient length to contact with each other bow with thegrain runn ng transversely of and close a circuit. One of these screws is of considerable length and has a head 24 extended through a suitable large opening in the bottom wall of the case 10 for manipulationto adjust the contact. A wire spring 25 is secured to one side of the bar 15 having respective arms bearing upon the outer sides of the levers 21 pressing them toward each other to hold the screws 2223 yieldingly in contact. A short distance from the pivotal axis of each lever there is mounted on the outer side of each hygroscopic how a knob 26, adapted to bear against the inner side of the lever, so that the levers will be separated at the outer ends by outward movement of the bows. By suitable adjustment of the screw 23 the levers will clear the bearing knob 26 when the desired degree of humidity is attained in the case wherein .the device is installed, and any decrease of humidity will allow the bows to come closer together allowing the levers to be drawn inward by the spring 25 and close the contact between the screws 22 23.

The manner of utilizing the contact between the screws to close or open the circuit to an electrically operated device for supplying humid air or moisture to the chamber in which the present device is. installed may be readily understood. In the present instance,

. a wire is led from each of the'mounting plates of the screws 2223, these wires being connected to respective binding posts 14. As a further precaution, the lamp receptacle may have respective wires led therefrom, one of which is connected to one binding post, while the other is led to one terminal of an electrical source, the other terminal of which is connected to the opposite binding post.

It will be seen that an extremely simple device is embodied, which, in the presence of air drier than it is desired to have surround: ing the device will close an electrical circuit Which may be utilized to operate any appliance for supplying humid air or moisture in other form. Ready adjustability of this device to function without disturbing the connection between the operative parts is an iniportant advantage. It will be appreciated that by screwing in uponthe screw 23 the bars 18 will have to be bowed to a much greater extent in orderto cause opening of a circuit, thereby insuring a higher degree of humidity. On the other hand, should it be desired to maintain a lower degree of h1imid- I and of the bows may be impregnated with a hygroscopic salt, if desired, to increase its sensitiveness to moisture in the air.

It has been my practice to use wood in the the bow, as wood usually tends to expand and contract transversely more than longitudinally by the influence of moisture. I have also used laminated wood in the bow.

It is also possible to provide for adjustment of the device by mounting a screw 27 in the seat 17 at one end of each bow, arranged to press uponthe metal cap 28 on the end of the bow. r

I claim; j

1. A humidistat comprising a non-hygroscopic bar, a bow of hygroscopic material seated at its ends on the bar and relatively movable members operatively mounted and associated with the bow and bar.

2. A humidistat. comprising a bar having seats longitudinally spaced, a bow having its ends set respectively against the seats, said how comprising longitudinal members of hygroscopic materials arranged so that the bow will vary its length under variations of humidity.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the bow consists of anouter retaining member of flexible metal slidable upon the hygroscopic material and connected at its ends to i the bar.

4. In a humidistat,,a hygroscopically responsive bow device comprising a bar, a bow proper of hygroscopic material connected at its ends only to the bar, the bar forming a chord therefor.

5. A humidistat consisting of two hygroscopic bows having the property of expandmg and contracting as their moisture content increases or decreases, a common chord nonresponsive to moisture comprising a metal plate having seats adjacent the ends receivmg the ends of the bows under compression, :1 plate carried by the chord at each side and extended .beside the bows, a lever pivoted between the plates outwardly of each bow, a.

bearing connection being formed between the bows and levers, the levers being extended having respective electrical contacts allned for coengagement, at leastone being ad ustable and yielding means to press the levers toward thebows.

6. The structure: of claim 4 in which said the end of said plate] 7. A humidistat comprising a central metal chord element havin substantially T-shaped ends, and respective 1% seats comprise a detachable unit secured to jections on the chord element.

8. The structure of claim 7 in which side ygroscopic bows at each side havlng theirv ends set against the proplates are secured to the chord element extending beside the bows, and beyond, levers pivoted between the rejecting parts of the plates and laid movable in a plane with the bows, and having parts distant from their pivots arranged to be engaged by the bows, yielding means to bear the levers toward the bows, and coacting electrical contact carried respectively by the levers.

9. The structure of claim 7, in which the bows are in a vertical plane, contact-carrying members above and below the bows for coengagement thereby, yielding means tending to hold the contact-carrying members coengaged by the bows, contacts carried respectively by the contact-carrying members arranged to contact when the bows are disengaged from the contact-carrying members.

10. The structure of claim 7 in which the bows are in a vertical plane, contact-carrying members freely movable in said plane, above and below the bows respectively, and located for coengagement by the respective adjacent bows under bending action of the bows, yielding means coacting between and tending to hold the contact-carrying members against the bows, contacts on the contact-carrying members arranged to coengage when the bows are collapsed and spaced from the contactvcarrying members, and an insulating stop positioned to engage and support the upper one of the contact-carrying members during disengaged positions of the bows.

11. A humidistat comprising a bow of hygroscopic material, seats held against movement and in which the ends of the bow are seated, and transmitting members in operative relation with the bow intermediate of its ds. 12. A humidistat comprising a bow of hygroscopic material, seats held against movement and in which the ends of the how are seated; the seats at one end of the bow being adjustable to exert end pressure on the ends of the bow, and transmitting members in operative relation with the bow intermediate of its ends.

13. A humidistat comprising a bow of hygroscopic material held against outward movement at its ends, outwardly movable transmitting members in. operative relation with the bow intermediate of its ends, spr ngs pressing the free ends of the transmitting members toward each other, contacts carried by said free ends.

14. A humidistat comprising a bow of hygroscopic material seated-at its opposite ends against outward movement to cause its members to flex outwardly between their ends,

and electric contact members in the outward paths of the middle portions of the two bow members.

In testimony whereof I afiix m slgnature.

. EDWARD A. ORTER. 

